Solid state lighting, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), offers a viable alternative to traditional light sources such as fluorescent, high intensity discharge (HID), and incandescent lamps. Indeed, light fixtures (technically referred to as luminaires in accordance with International Electrotechnical Commission terminology) employing LEDs are fast emerging as a superior alternative to conventional light fixtures because of their high energy conversion and optical efficiency, robustness, lower operating costs, and so forth.
However, a significant concern in the design and operation of LED-based light fixtures is that of thermal management. Implementation of LEDs for many light fixture applications has been hindered by the amount of heat build-up within the electronic circuits of the LEDs. This, heat build-up reduces LED light output, shortens lifespan, and can eventually cause the LEDs to fail. Consequently, effective heat dissipation is an important design consideration for maintaining light output and/or increasing lifespan for the light source.